In a tragic incident yesterday, a portion of a bridge in the Bantalab area on the outskirts of Jammu collapsed during repair work, leaving three labourers dead and one injured after being trapped under debris.
The accident occurred when workers were engaged in repairing the retaining wall of a bridge that had been damaged in last year’s flash floods. Suddenly, a section of the structure gave way, burying several labourers under the rubble.
Soon after the collapse, a massive rescue operation was launched by Police, Army and disaster response teams, including SDRF and NDRF. After several hours of intensive efforts, three bodies were recovered from the debris, while one injured worker was rescued alive and shifted to hospital for treatment.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary rushed to the spot, reviewed the rescue operations, and expressed grief over the loss of lives. Taking serious note of the incident, he ordered an immediate inquiry into the collapse and suspended two engineers associated with the project for alleged negligence.
Officials said the exact cause of the collapse will be determined after the inquiry report is submitted. The incident has raised serious concerns regarding construction safety standards and monitoring of ongoing infrastructure works in the region.
Authorities have assured that strict action will be taken against those found responsible, while efforts are also being made to provide assistance to the affected families.
